Nursing roles and functions addressing relatives during in‐hospital rehabilitation following stroke. Care needs and involvement

Abstract

Nurses experience their roles and functions addressing relatives after stroke as crucial, challenging and multifaceted. They acknowledged care needs of the relatives in their own right by addressing the relatives' vulnerability during in-hospital rehabilitation characterised by an existential threat to the physical as well as the shared life. The focus on the needs of relatives considering their expected future role was experienced as conflicting with restricting time frames and a healthcare system focusing on the individual patient.

Healthcare professionals' competence in stroke care pathways: A mixed‐methods systematic review

“…Based on the experiences of healthcare professionals, family and carers played at most a supporting role in stroke care competence (O'Halloran et al, 2010). Other studies indicated that family and carers enhance patient care by providing information and helping to express the patient's needs (Aadal et al, 2018; Christiansen et al, 2017; Dreyer et al, 2016; Longley et al, 2018). On the other hand, challenges in co‐operation with relatives required healthcare professionals to adopt a range of different strategies (Christiansen et al, 2017), and there was a risk that dealing with patients' relatives could be perceived a stressful task in itself (Aadal et al, 2018) that shifts focus away from the patient.…”

“…Finally, healthcare professionals were found to need a wide range of interaction skills to support interactions with both patients and the family members and carers of patients, who can play key roles in the patient's care and rehabilitation. Aadal et al (2018) argued that successful rehabilitation requires family members and the patient to be treated as a unit. Therefore, healthcare professionals must possess a holistic awareness of the patient's situation and have the competence to include the family by guiding them to understand their needs (Aadal et al, 2018; Theadom et al, 2018).…”

“…Moreover, healthcare professionals working in stroke care need up‐to‐date knowledge and evidence‐based clinical competence (Baatiema et al, 2017; Theofanidis & Gibbon, 2016a). The vital role of healthcare professionals in supporting stroke patients and their families has been noted, with particular emphasis on the ability to understand the needs and priorities of the people being supported (Aadal et al, 2018; Theadom et al, 2018). Also important are knowledge about stroke as a long‐term condition, skills in helping patients to cope with stroke by providing targeted and timely counselling and support throughout the care pathway, and continuity of care between specialist and generalist services (Oikarinen et al, 2017; Pindus et al, 2018; Tulek et al, 2018).…”

Nursing practice in stroke rehabilitation: Perspectives from multi‐disciplinary healthcare professionals

“…In addition, Aadal, Angel, Dreyer, Langhorn, and Pedersen (2013) expressed the need for consideration of patients' individualization and increased interdisciplinary teamwork in nursing practice. The role of nurses in supporting patients' relatives also needs to be addressed, as relatives are important in providing care post-discharge (Aadal, Angel, Langhorn, Pedersen, & Dreyer, 2018). Therefore, because nursing roles in stroke rehabilitation are multi-faceted, complicated, and constantly changing, nurses need to holistically engage in rehabilitation care.…”

Endovascular therapy after acute ischaemic stroke—Experiences and needs of relatives

“…Involvement of relatives has become a much discussed area in the healthcare system, and relatives are often seen as a resource for both patient and health professionals (Aadal, Angel, Langhorn, Pedersen, & Dreyer, 2017;Angel, 2015). Consideration about relatives' actual ability to take responsibility must be prioritised, and health professionals must constantly be aware of relatives' own needs for support (Wallengren, Friberg, & Segesten, 2008 …”